


Shell Shock

by Frostberry



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:06:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21731947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostberry/pseuds/Frostberry
Summary: White Diamond takes away Pink Pearl; Pink Diamond goes to the Reef to pick a new one out.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 59





	Shell Shock

“Young diamonds are so emotionally unstable,” White Diamond sighed, picking at her sharp black nails and not looking at Pink Pearl. Pink Pearl looked down at White’s shoes, feeling a little embarrassed about the actions of Pink. She’d thrown a tantrum and cracked Pearl’s eye. White was  _ huge _ ; and she thought Pink was the biggest gem she’d seen until White had come in. White made Pink go and sort out an Era Ball with some Sapphires. “This is the problem, Pearl. Why should Pink even deserve a Pearl? You can come meet my Pearl, if you wish.” 

It was not a suggestion, it was an order. Pink Pearl turned on her heels and stopped and almost gasped out loud as she came face to face with White Pearl, barely an inch away. 

There was no colour in her cheeks, her pupils were a light grey. White hair was short, almost like a triangle on her head. The Pearl’s gem was on her forehead, like White Diamond’s was. But it wasn’t her shining dress or empty smile that Pink Pearl almost gasped at. 

There were cracks in her body, her gem on her forehead was unharmed. 

The cracks looked like rocks that were about to fall and crush below her feet. 

“She’s a darling,” crooned White Diamond. White Pearl smiled even harder. 

“Yes, my Diamond.” 

“Has a wonderful singing voice, does everything I say…” 

“Yes, my Diamond.” White Pearl smiled so hard a crack appeared in her jaw. “Anything for you.” 

Pink Pearl wanted to know what was wrong with her, why was her body cracked? She touched her cracked eye gently. She couldn’t feel a thing. Was this what was going to happen to her? 

White Pearl waited patiently for White Diamond to speak. 

“As Pink is not… not available to give orders right now, you’ll be working under me,” White Diamond cleared her throat. Pink Diamond squinted up; she could barely see White’s face as she was so  _ tall _ . “We are going to the Reef.” 

Pink knew of the Reef, which was where she had come from several thousand years before. It was a Pearl’s paradise, where Pearls got to customise their hair or weapons, or rejuvenate. She’d been there herself when Pink gave her a holiday several hundred years ago. 

***

They took a portal towards the Reef, taking several minutes to get there. It wasn’t used that often, as Gems were usually happy with services of Pearls, and they didn’t need to go to the Reef very often. 

The clam opened and a soft Pearl voice rang out. “ _ White Diamond, _ ” The voiceover was pleased for White Diamond to appear in the Reef. Pink Pearl looked around, she couldn’t see any other Pearls. She never really met that many anyway. “ _ Welcome to the Reef. What would you like to do here _ ?” 

“Gem Rejuvenator.” 

White Pearl led the way, and Pink followed behind. She didn’t know what White Diamond meant by  _ Gem Rejuvenator  _ as  _ Pearl Rejuvenator  _ meant a good fashioned holiday with other Pearls who sat around chatting, dancing and singing in a big pool. The door, which was two clams, opened and they came into a large room with a shell in the middle. 

White pointed a finger at the shell. “My Pearl, you need to go there.” 

Pink Pearl went to move too, but White put a nail in front of her. “Not you. Just my Pearl.” 

“As you wish, My Diamond.” White Pearl walked up to the shell, and lightly got into it. “What do I do now?” 

Pink Pearl realised a split second before the Pearl voiceover started talking, what  _ exactly  _ was going to happen. “ _ Broken Pearl detected. Pearl will be cleared of all faults. _ ” 

The shell snapped shut, Pink Pearl seeing White Pearl’s eyes open wide in fear. 

“ _ Stand back _ ,” Voiceover Pearl ordered, and there was a scream from inside the shell - Pink Pearl gasped and tried to make her way to it, but White Diamond pulled her back. 

“We’re going,” White said, her voice making it very clear that it was an order. “No need for my Pearl anymore. From now on, you’re my  _ Pearl _ .” 

Pink Pearl took one last look at the buzzing in the Reef, and left, walking slowly behind White Diamond. 

*** 

The Reef’s doors banged open, and an angry Pink Diamond walked in. A meek looking Pearl wearing a uniform which had written on it  _ Shell Maintenance Officer  _ on the back was catching up beside her. “My Diamond,” she said hurriedly, “White has just left.” 

“Never mind about her,” Pink snapped, “She took my Pearl. Where did she put my Pearl!?” 

The Maintenance Officer hesitated. “Your Pearl is not here. She didn’t do anything to your Pearl.” 

Pink glared down at the Maintenance Officer, who cowered in fear. “I want a Pearl, how am I supposed to get through life without one!? To get a colony, I need a Pearl. To get a Pearl, I need to come here. If she’s taken my damn Pearl, then I better get a new one.” 

“We’ve got a nice secondhand model that’s just come in,” said the Maintenance Officer. 

“I don’t want a second hand model.” 

“She’s very intelligent. Her stats show she is fifty two point five percent smarter than your average Pearl.” 

Pink stopped stomping about and looked down at the Maintenance Officer. “Show me.” She demanded. 

The Pearl tapped in the passcode towards the vault, where the Pearls were kept. They all gathered in a line, bowing at Pink as she ignored them and walked past. Usually, any Pearl would do for what she wanted, but if the Maintenance Officer said this one was a  _ smart  _ Pearl then so be it… 

The very end was the smiling White Pearl, her gem sparkling and no crack in sight. “I think I’ve seen this one before…” Pink couldn’t remember where, but it didn’t matter. “She’s very pale.” 

“All Pearls are default to white,” the Maintenance Officer supplied, writing in her tablet. “What would you like?” 

“Hmm,” Pink didn’t want a Pearl like the one she had. She was nice, but she wanted something that didn’t remind her of her friend. “Pale peachy hair. I want pastel colours.” 

The Maintenance Officer tapped in a few commands, and within a few minutes, the Pearl had been changed. Her hair was now a beautiful pale pink, her dress had blue sleeves and a yellow skirt. 

Pearl bowed deeply to her new master.    
“My Diamond, my name is Pearl.” 

Pink, for the first time in a while, smiled slightly. She then reached down, and put a pink hibiscus in her new Pearl’s hands. 

“Nice to meet you. I’m Pink. Now, don’t tell anyone I was here, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

***

By the time they had reached Homeworld, White had already forgotten about her Pearl. 

She had a new puppet, after all. 


End file.
